Mingyue frowned. It meant she really had no choice for a Dao partner other than Alex.
She did not know how to feel about that. For now, she decided she needed to get to know him better.
"Well, it is good if you are alright," she said. "Do you have any other requests?
By the way, can you send me one of those storage rings? I have always wanted to have one."
"I do have a few here. I will send them to you, along with some other stuff," Mingyue said.
She then told Alex everything that had happened with Linghua.
She spoke about being attacked by Linghua and falling into the void crack, then entering the secret realm and setting a trap for Linghua there.
After hearing all of this, Alex had an idea.
"Since you already have a secret realm now, why not make your own sect, Mingyue?" he asked.
"My own sect?" Mingyue repeated. "Even with the resources I got from this secret realm, it would not be enough, Alex.
The cultivation methods the previous owner used are not suitable for that purpose."
"That is fine. Do not forget about me," Alex said with a small chuckle.
"Look, Mingyue, instead of trying to recruit those so-called geniuses, find common people, those who have been trampled by cultivators."
"Commoners?" Mingyue asked. "But what can they do?
They are too weak. A single Foundation Stage cultivator can easily trample over them."
"I have some understanding of your world from Vesa," Alex said. "Even commoners can cultivate.
It is just that no one thinks it is worthwhile to train them because the efficiency is so low.
But what if we do not focus on cultivating them? Instead, give them weapons from my world."
He paused, then explained further.
"A machine gun can easily overpower a Foundation Stage cultivator.
You just need a few non-genius cultivators with the right element to produce all the items.
I will then send you some training and production methods for you to implement."
Mingyue listened and found the idea feasible. Recruiting commoners as cultivators would not be hard.
As long as she could provide them with food, a warm house, and protection, they would come to her.
She could also bind them with a contract to ensure their loyalty.
Alex continued, "Look, Mingyue, you should stop depending on others to raise your cultivation, like your sect and family do.
You should take over both of them and create your own organization. Make one with a concept similar to ancient families.
Your world has big opportunities compared to mine."
"Big opportunities?" Mingyue asked. "What do you mean by that, Alex?"
"Yes," Alex said.
"Every single sect and prominent family is looking for heaven-blessed geniuses with overwhelming talent.
Since one can beat a thousand, they neglect the most important resource, the common people.
Even your sect cannot maintain their daily needs without these so-called commoners.
Why else would they take over many cities under them?"
Mingyue still felt disbelief. She did not understand why common people were considered such an important resource.
"But why?" she asked. "There are so many of them.
Even if one or two cities were decimated, it would not take long for others to fill the numbers."
Alex laughed.
"You are so focused on cultivation that you have barely grown in economy and technology," he said.
"Even cultivators need to eat before they become immortal. You also need furniture and a place to live.
Who works to produce the wheat and rice you eat? Who cuts the logs to build all of those?
Is it not the commoners? None of the so-called cultivators want to dirty their hands doing it."
He kept going, breaking it down point by point.
"But you all neglect them and treat them like trash. Without commoners, can your sect survive?
Can the cultivators focus on their cultivation? No, right?
Even many new geniuses come from these so-called commoners.
If you start taking over their roots one by one, they will start to feel the impact and weaken."
He paused, then added a more concrete suggestion.
"I heard you plan to hide your identity before returning to your family.
Try to hide as a commoner and mingle with them, Mingyue. Become one of them.
Then you will understand what they really do."
"What? Hiding as a commoner?" Mingyue was baffled.
Every cultivator she knew looked at commoners as if they were a lower species.
"Yes," Alex said.
"You might think that as long as you provide them with good food, a house, and a contract, it is enough, right?
No, it is not, Mingyue.
We also need to really understand how they think, what they are capable of, and how they live their lives.
Only then can we plan out a suitable community that keeps growing."
He spoke in a calm tone.
"Anything motivated only by fear will not last long. Do not forget, we need to find people to become real vampires.
They cannot be bound by slave contracts. If they are only loyal out of fear, it will put us at high risk.
They will also not really try their best."
Hearing his words, Mingyue understood that he wanted to use the sect she would build as a foundation for long-term growth, not just for short-term goals.
"You know about the idea of school and education in my world, right?" Alex asked.
"Yes," Mingyue said.
She had been baffled when she first learned about it.
She had wondered why Alex's world invested so many resources into the education system.
"It is not just about skills, Mingyue," Alex said.
"The most important aspect of that system is to instill group values in people, such as what is right to do and what is wrong to do.
To put it simply, it is about shaping them into suitable individuals who will work in the way that is most beneficial for us."
He gave a direct example.
"For example, my world teaches people to work under others, keep their word, and think about others' benefits first.
Many believe this and spend half their lives following this route, only to face the reality that it is all bullshit.
But in your world, we do not need to worry about this.
We will make sure that everyone who follows the teachings will be rewarded."
"Why would my world be any different, though?" Mingyue asked. "In the end, people will follow their own desires, Alex.
Even I know that when their basic needs are fulfilled, they will start wanting more."
She had heard of a few cases like that.
Some cultivators treated the commoners very well, only to be stabbed in the back later.